Caricature of Intimacy
by Midori Bond
Summary: When worlds collide, they also fall apart. In the midst of sorrow, in the search of something that doesn't belong, three people realize that happily ever after isn't as storybook as everyone would like to believe.
1. Nothing to Live For

_**Warning: This fic contains some spoilers for the movie If you haven't seen it, don't worry, I'm not giving up too much. This is just my own personal take on a few things. I hope you enjoy!**_

_**Midori**_

**_Caricature of Intimacy_**  
by Midori Bond

**_Chapter 1_**

* * *

The city she learned to call home was in chaos. Out of no where, huge flying machines were attacking, and suits of armor were advancing, killing everything in sight. Her blue eyes were searching. She had to get the children to safety. They evacuated their school, and she was going to take them to the only safe place she knew.

She would get the children to the bolt holes where the sewers emptied. She held the smallest of the children in her arms and her assistant continued to heard the small orphans down various alleyways. "Roll call," she said loud enough for only the children to hear. A shaky smile came to her face as she listened to the frightened voices saying their name. She had to make sure all of the kids were with her. She couldn't lose any of them. She wasn't sure that her mind would be able to take it.

She paused as the roll ended. She only heard nine names. There were supposed to be ten.

And the one missing was her own son.

"Edmund?" she called out. As she looked behind her, she felt fear gripping her throat.

"Miss Rose, we have to keep going," her assistant whispered. He looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "Give me Danielle, and we'll meet you there."

"Thank you Craig," she whispered as he lifted the two-year old out of her arms. Without hesitating, without thinking of the dangers she was facing, she ran down the street, the exact way she came.

She was in the middle of the main street as an explosion rocked the surrounding buildings. Rose lost her balance and fell to the cobblestone. Her eyes went round as she saw one of the suits of armor, one that looked so much like one of her dearest friends. It was coming after her with a battle axe in hand. She fought her way to her feet, ignoring the trail of blood coming from her leg.

Just as she rounded a corner, Rose slammed into another suit of armor. This one carrying a large sword. Her eyes were round as it raised its weapon over her head. She closed her eyes and pressed her hand against the breastplate. She didn't want to die. _"I have to find Edmund,"_ was the only thought in her mind as the bracelet Alex had given her suddenly came to life.

All she heard was the distinct sound of the armor shattering. She opened her eyes and saw pieces of steel, flesh, and some black oily substance falling to the pavement. Before she had the chance to realize what she had done, the Al look-a-like made its way down the alley.

"Get down," a deep voice ordered.

Rose ducked automatically. She covered her face as flame erupted from the air and exploded around the armor, and the two following it. When she felt a hand on her arm, she quickly jerked away. She gasped when she saw the man that saved her. He was tall, pale skin, with dark hair and eyes, only one of his eyes were covered by a patch. He was also in a military uniform. Rose backed away from him and swallowed. It had been almost four years, but she still could bring herself to trust that uniform. "Who are you?" she asked as she stood.

"You shouldn't be here," was all he said.

She shook her head. She wasn't going anywhere without Edmund."I have to find my son," she said as another explosion rocked them. She stumbled forward and was shocked when he wrapped her in his arms to steady her.

He bowed his head. The school was just down the street, and he had seen the small child that resembled her so much, sticking out from under the rubble. "Don't go to the school," he whispered.

Rose's eyes widened as she pushed away from him. As she looked at the sorrow in his eye, she felt her world crack. "No," she breathed before running the rest of the way to the school.

Mustang stood silent as her scream rang through the streets. As he turned to her, he noticed the bracelet she wore. Armstrong had ones like it made for certain people he trusted. Roy's eye closed as he realized who she was. He wouldn't be able to leave her in this state. He jogged towards her, and saw that she had brought her hands together in the same way a certain blonde used to. His jog turned into a sprint as she reached for her son's hand. "Don't!" he shouted.

As he grabbed her hands, more pieces of the building fell. Rose screamed as her son's body was buried, leaving only his hand and bear for view. "Let me go!" she screamed as he pulled her away her little boy... the small child she almost lost her sanity over. "Edmund!" she screamed.

Roy held her close as she fought against him. He could hear the armors coming again, and they were accompanied by the shadows of huge flying machines. As they dropped more bombs, he frowned. Those would have to go. He looked around. He would have to take her someplace safe before going to headquarters.

Rose went limp in his arms. It was over. Her son was gone. Edmund was gone, ripped out of her life, the same way Cain was. the same way Edward was. She closed her eyes as she felt tears coming to them. Every man she loved was dead. Everything she knew about life was turning to dust. "Ed," she whispered as her entire body went numb.

Roy lifted her into his arms. He would make sure she was safe. It was the least he could do, especially after what she just discovered.

These things weren't here to start a war. They were here to massacre his friends, his family. And all of it was his fault. Just because he was too stupid to listen to all of the warnings. Just because he couldn't leave his mother dead and buried.

Edward Elric ran down the streets of the Forgotten City. He had to find a way to get above and stop the planes. He had to stop _her_. A grin crossed his face as he spotted a building that was mostly toppled over. The mechanical arms and legs he had in the other world were decent, but they were nothing like Winry's automail. With ease he hadn't felt in three years, he scaled the building, making his way to the fourth or fifth air-bomber that passed through the Gate. That was his ticket out.

As he jumped onto the plane's wing, he grabbed desperately onto the metal. This was his mess. Al wanted him back, his father wanted him to return. The people of the Thule wanted to destroy. He wanted everyone to live in peace. He was going to do what was right. He was going to put an end to all of this.

Roy rounded the last corner to Central Headquarters and frowned deeply. The attacks here were worse than he thought. He looked at the catatonic woman behind him and leaned her against the wall of the building. "Rose, I want you to stay here," he said softly. As dull blue eyes looked at him, he frowned. He didn't have the time to charm her into motion. He looked around and saw that there were now armors climbing down the Alchemy banner that was draped over the building.

"Miss. Skyler," he snapped. He knew that most people, could respond to simple orders while they were in shock. Her back straightened, making him nod slightly. "There's a back doorway into Headquarters I want you to find it, and make sure it's clear. I'm going to be sending the injured to you," he said in his most commanding voice.

She nodded before moving towards the building. She would do as before. When Lior was under attack. She would bottle up her own pain for now. Later, she would find time for her grief. Others needed her now. As she made her way to the door he indicated, she saw the bright energy of a transmutation in the sky. Her eyes were wide as she saw one of the flying machines. It's shape changed into one of a large balloon with wings, and a faucet spout nose. "Edward," she whispered as she saw amber eyes on the balloon, and a small figure with a gold tail sitting on top of it. Her breath left her as one of the other flying tanks shot at the angry face. "Edward!" she screamed as the balloon he was on exploded. Tears fell from her eyes. Fate couldn't be so cruel. Fate wouldn't take her little Edmund and give her back Edward, only to snatch him away too.

"Rose," Mustang's voice barked.

Her head shot up and her eyes instantly flew to him. She knew she was shaking. She was going through too much and she wasn't sure if she could cope. She just wanted this to be over. All of this was too much. She turned towards the building and gasped when an armor jumped in front of her. Without a thought, she lifted her hand against its breast plate.

Roy frowned as he watched her. She was destroying the armors the same way Scar would kill. Stopping at step two of the transmutation process. She was moving automatically, but she was making her way to the door with ease. He took a breath as he heard others calling him. He wasn't going to think about what Rose saw. He witnessed the same sight as well. Fullmetal was back. He was actually on this side of the gate, and doing what he does best.

Fighting the bad guy, and causing destruction on a massive scale.

A smirk crossed his face as he and Hawkeye ran closer to the building and saw that the only thing they had to fight against the flying machines with, was a flattened hot-air balloon. He smiled as he looked over his shoulder to the large Colonel next to him. "Armstrong," he said lowly. "Rose Skyler is in the building. Look after her," he said in a whisper.

Armstrong frowned as he saw the young woman in question. She created a small shelter and was now helping injured soldiers. "She should be with her son," he said as Mustang lifted the mouth of the balloon.

Mustang created his spark, watching with careful eyes as the balloon filled. "Her son was in the school," he said lowly. His eye turned to his friend as he jumped into the basket. "It crumbled on top of the boy."

Armstrong's shoulders fell as he looked at Rose again. "She's a strong woman," he said to himself. As Roy's balloon lifted into the air, he saw Hawkeye run over to them.

"Mustang!" she shouted as Armstrong grabbed her around her waist.

"Colonel Hawkeye, please, protect the injured," Roy called out. A smirk crossed his face as she looked at him with a heartbroken expression. "Don't look like that. I only have enough power for one," he told her.

Her jaw clenched as she fought against the Strong Arm Alchemist. "That's a cheap excuse!" she replied. When he was out of firing range, she felt her feet touch the ground again. She growled low in her throat as she drew her rifle and shot four more armors as the approached where Rose had set up her triage unit. She looked at Havoc, Fuery and Breda. "This is our last line," she called out. "Let's not let the Major down."

Havoc smirked around his cigarette. "Who would have thought, we still follow him, even though he's been demoted." He shook his head. "Things never change."

It felt like hours. Rose treated as many as she could, the entire time, fighting back her fears of being surrounded by so many uniforms. She knew Mustang had gone to fight the flying machines. After that, everything became a blur. Two female officers stood near the entrance of her overhang. Both were excellent shots, but she didn't want to think about the destruction around her. If she did, she would focus on Edmund and then Edward.

"All of the men have been treated," Armstrong said as the fighting died.

She wiped her eyes, startled to find that the back of her hands were wet. "Is there any word on Edward?" she asked.

He shook his head, knowing that she loved the young blonde. "No. Nothing yet."

No sooner did the words leave his mouth did Mustang float down to the ground. He looked at the young woman and grimaced. He knew she wasn't going to take this well. _He_ didn't want to take this well.

Rose ran over to him. "Where's Ed?" she asked instantly. She saw the way his eye turned to the ground and frowned. He was about to tell her something that she wasn't going to like.

Mustang stepped to the side and showed her the flying machine that was falling back towards the Gate. "He's going to destroy the door from the other side. We have to do the same here."

Rose's eyes widened as she realized what that meant. "No," she whispered before moving past him. She took to a run as a gold light engulfed the flying machine. "Edward!" she called out.

"Alex," Mustang said lowly. "Please, stop her."

Armstrong could see how the scene was ripping Roy apart. He slammed his fist into the ground and a large wall erected itself in the archway.

"No!" Rose screamed as she met the wall. "Edward," she breathed as she fell to her knees. Her heart shattered as she leaned her head against the stone and the tears that she tried to hold back all day, came back tenfold.

Roy turned to Hawkeye and Ross. "Take her inside. One of you two, or Armstrong will be with her at all times."

"Sir," the three acknowledged.

He closed his eye and lowered his head. He wanted to leave this life behind, but now knew that he couldn't. Just like Edward was owning up to his mistakes, and taking his responsibilities like a man, it was time for him to do the same. He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright with Fullmetal's decision?" Alex asked in a low voice.

His answer was a muse.

"He's doing what he thinks is best for the greater good," Armstrong said in Edward's defence. "We can explain that to Alphonse."

"Al went with him," Roy said looking at the larger man. "The only ones we have to explain everything to is Rose, and Winry Rockbell."

Ed looked behind him as they rode back to town. Noah was looking out into the night sky, but what caught his attention was his brother. Al was curled up in his seat crying quietly. "Hey, you alright back there Al?" he asked turning to face the younger blonde better. When he wiped his eyes, Ed couldn't help but grin. "There's no need for the tears or anything. We destroyed the door. Everyone's safe."

Al shook his head. "No, not everyone," he said in a whisper. He looked at Noah, noticing how much she resembled the woman he was thinking about. His chestnut colored eyes turned to his brother. "Do you remember Rose?"

Ed lowered his head as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I remember her," he said quietly. Of coarse he remembered her. She was one of the people he wanted to protect the most. "Why? Do you think something happened to her?"

"Not her. Edmund." Al looked into Edward's eyes, knowing that there were a lot of things left unsaid between the pair, but also knowing that this was going to hurt Ed as much as Rose. "That's what she named her son."

"Go on," Ed whispered. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach as Al's eyes turned back to the passing landscape.

"When we met on the streets, and I saw the building that had fallen on a child," Al paused as a pained sob escaped him. "And you told me not to bring him back."

Gold eyes slowly widened as his mind caught up with what his brother was telling him.

"It was him," Al cried. "I killed Rose's son."

Noah's heart was breaking as she wrapped her arms around Al's body and pulled him close. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to comfort him, while seeing everything in his past. "No, it's not your fault," she whispered into his hair.

Edward turned to the front, his own eyes filling with tears. Rose's son, a boy that was only three, and now he was dead. He closed his eyes tightly as he hung his head. He knew Rose was destroyed over this. Yet another sin for him to have on his shoulders. He leaned back in his seat and looked up at the moon. "Why did she name him Edmund?" he asked in a choked voice.

"Because she wanted him to be like you," Al answered in a small voice. "When I asked her, she said she wouldn't name him Edward. That was your name, and if you ever had a son, it was your right to name him Edward. But Edmund was close enough. His full name was Edmund Alexander Skyler."

An ironic smile crossed Ed's face as he wiped tears out of his eyes. "Ed, Al. She always wanted to remember us, even if we never saw her again," he said lowly.

Al shook his head. He always saw Rose. "She wanted a reminder if she never saw _you_ again, Brother."

Hughes looked at the young man sitting next to him. He never expected to see the things that he had, or do the things he did because of Edward, but the more time he spent with the blonde, the more he was starting to like him. "Are you going to look for a way to go back?" he asked lowly.

Ed frowned. It was easy to adjust to life here, but knowing that Rose needed him, that gave him a lot to think about. "I don't know."

* * *

**_TBC..._**


	2. Decisions & Meetings

**_Caricature of Intimacy_**  
by Midori Bond

**_Chapter 2_**

* * *

Roy sat behind his desk going over his report. The few higher-ups that were left still wanted his own account of what happened during the attack. They were all too aware of what happened during the attack. And he was all too aware of their own ideas about the world on the other side of the Gate. With a smirk, he made to note that Fullmetal destroyed it. That wiped his hands clean. Place the blame on the one that was best at causing it.

A sigh left the Major as he thought of the boy... no, it wasn't fair to call him that. If his math was correct, Edward was about to turn nineteen. He was a man now. A muse left him as he remember their brief encounter. Ed still only stood up to his nose. A frown crossed his face as his thoughts took a depressing turn.

Rose had been staying in one of the spare dorms... the one the Elrics shared. Alex had gone to retrieve some of her clothes, only to discover that her home had also been destroyed in the battle. Then later, when Hawkeye mentioned finding the other children, Rose broke down. She sealed herself in her room and wouldn't speak to anyone for days. Even now, she only spoke to Hawkeye and Ross.

A sigh escaped him as he leaned back. She wouldn't be able to stay in the dorms for too much longer. And he knew she didn't have anyplace to go. There weren't too many options open for him. Not too many places would take in a young woman that was as far introverted as Rose was now. He didn't know what to do.

Hawkeye entered the office with a number of files under her arm. "This is the paperwork for the collateral damage during the attack," she said placing the pile on his desk.

Roy rubbed his temples. He didn't know how he used to do all of this. "Can't I write it off to Fullmetal?" he asked with a frown. "Let it wait for him."

She smiled. "No Sir." She looked into his dark eye, her own shining with amusement. "Until Hakuro promotes you, Edward officially outranks you."

He had to be hearing things. "What?"

"Fullmetal is a Lt. Colonel." Hawkeye ignored his glare with practiced ease. "You know it's procedure Roy. Besides, at least he's not here to gloat."

She did have a point. He would be too tempted to fry the blonde the second he pulled rank. "Do you know how much longer I'll have to wait?" he asked curiously.

The smile she wore wouldn't fade. She knew he hated paperwork. Just like he knew she hated being left behind. This was his punishment for punishing her, and she would relish it. "He'll sign your promotion after he's gone over your reports, and these files."

As her hand patted the papers in front of him, his eye narrowed. "You're evil," he muttered.

"I learned it from you," she responded with ease. When he didn't reply, she looked him over. His shoulders sagged as he turned to look out of his window. "Roy?"

He kept his gaze focused at where they were beginning construction on the school. "Rose isn't getting any better," he said lowly. "I think that losing her son was her breaking point."

She slowly nodded as she followed his gaze. "It's understandable. She lived for all of the children for the past few years."

Roy frowned as he continued to gaze at the streets. "Now she has nothing," he said lowly. He steepled his fingers as he looked at the paperwork in front of him. "Since she lived for the boy, we should start trying to find something else for her to live for."

"Possibly," Hawkeye said lowly. "I was thinking about asking her to come on here. As a civilian staff member."

His frown deepened. With her past experiences, he doubted Rose wanted anything to do with the military. "Is there anything you have in mind?" he asked his former second.

"Actually, yes," she answered before walking to the door. "But I'll keep that to myself for right now. You have work to do."

Roy couldn't fight the growls coming from his throat. Hawkeye had a way of getting under his skin in a way that only two others had managed before. "Good bye, Sir," he said in a cold tone.

She looked over her shoulder with a smile. "I know that I'm wasting my breath, but try to get your work done."

Rose sat in the window of her room gazing out into the sunset. In her arms, she held a worn leather journal. The pages opened to a list of ingredients that she remembered from so long ago.

_"Water: 35 liters. Carbon: 20kg. Ammonia: 4 liters. Lime: 1.5kg. Phosphorus: 800g. Salt: 250g. Saltpeter: 100g. Sulfur: 80g. Fluorine 7.5g. Iron: 5g. Silicon: 3g. And 15 other elements in small quantities."_

This was the list of ingredients used to create a human. She knew that she couldn't bring the dead back to life, but the book reminded her of Edward. In a twisted way, it was a comfort.

A knock sounded on the door, making her look away from his scribbled handwriting. "Rose," Riza's voice called.

The brunette slowly uncurled herself from her seat. She knew Riza wouldn't go anywhere until the door was opened. One of the good, and bad things that she liked about the woman. As she opened the door, she looked into warm brown eyes. "I didn't think you would be by tonight," Rose said stepping to the side.

"I wanted to make sure you ate something." Riza walked into the room and saw that everything had been cleaned up and put away properly. It was different from the chaos she was used to when Ed and Al stayed there. "And I also wanted to ask you something."

Rose looked at her curiously. "Really?" Ross was the one that usually asked her questions. Riza normally brought her food and helped get books from the library. "What is it?"

Riza sat in a chair and took a slow breath. She knew of Rose's past, they all did. That was part of the reason why she wasn't sure about asking this, but knowing that it had to be asked. "The dorms are usually reserved for military personnel," she started. She tried not to notice the way Rose turned her eyes to the floor as she pressed on. "A few of the rooms have been used for a few civilian staff members though."

"So in order to keep staying here, I'd have to work for the military?" Rose asked as she hugged Ed's journal close.

"Yes. I'm afraid that there are only a few strings that I can pull. You can keep your room here, and you would only have to deal with us."

Rose closed her eyes as she tried to block out her fears. "What would I have to do?" she asked in a whisper.

"My office needs a secretary. You would basically be filing and making appointments for myself and the other officers. Most of it is done over the phone, so you wouldn't be..."

"Why are you doing this?" Rose asked looking at the Colonel. "I know that the military normally doesn't go out of their way for others."

"You're special to Edward and Alphonse," Riza said simply. "And what happened to you in Lior should never have happened."

"So you all pity me."

"We're all concerned about a very strong, and special young woman." Riza's eyes locked with Rose's. "As I said, what happened, shouldn't have. Now we all just want the chance to get to know you... not about you from Fullmetal's reports."

"Edward put me in his reports?" Rose asked in a whisper.

"He always put down the people that aided or hindered him."

Rose winced. "Which was I?"

"You and Winry are to received any pensions should he officially be listed as dead." Riza saw the way blue eyes went round, and smirked. "Which do you think?"

Rose walked over to the bed and sat on it. Ed always looked out for her. She held his journal tighter and smiled as she felt tears come to her eyes. "It's time that I stood on my own and learned how to walk," she said softly. Rose wiped her eyes and nodded at Riza. "When do I start?"

A smile crossed the blonde's face. "You can start tomorrow. But I have to warn you, most of the men are lazy when it comes to paperwork. Especially Mustang." Riza stood and motioned for Rose to do the same. "He's an awful flirt, and constantly needs to be reminded to actually work."

Rose felt a smile cross her face. The first one all week. "Is he really that bad?" she asked.

"Before we go to the mess, let's go by the armory."

"What for?" If she was only going to be in the office, she shouldn't be in any danger.

"We're going to get you a whip," Riza smiled as they left the room.

"Are you sure it's here?" Al asked as he looked at the castle in the distance.

Ed carefully jumped out of the tree he had been in. A frown marred his face as he shoved his binoculars in his knapsack. "No, I'm not," he said darkly. "But all of our leads say that he's here."

"And his bomb's with him." Al reached into his own bag and pulled out a sandwich. "What did you see?" he asked offering half.

With a thankful smile he took the sandwich. "Nothing much." He took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "A lot of security. Nothing we can't get past."

"Without Alchemy?" Al asked. He knew Ed had been in this world longer, but it was still hard to remember that he couldn't fix things with a simple clap of his hands.

Ed nodded. He knew Al was having a hard time adjusting. He did too. But he wouldn't change anything if given the chance. He was a better man for it. "I can take out about four or five of the guards. That leaves another three. Your fighting skills are still on par. You'll be fine."

Al smiled as he also ate. "When do we go in?" he asked.

"Alright you two, freeze," a familiar voice said from behind.

Both Elrics turned around and saw a man with short black hair and piercing onyx eyes watching them with a gun trained on Ed. The blonde inhaled as he stood. "What do you want?" Ed asked Mustang's double.

"I'll ask the questions," he said in an arrogant tone.

Ed felt his eyes narrow. It wasn't fair to hate this poor schmuck, but damn it, did he have to sound _exactly_ like that asshole.

Al jumped to his feet, remembering that Ed always wore that rather nasty look when he dealt with the former Colonel. "We were just back-packing through the area," he said with a smile. "We thought that it would be a good time to stop and have lunch. I would offer, but I'm afraid that there just isn't enough to share."

"What are your names?"

"Hell if I tell you," Ed snapped.

"Elric," Al said at the same time. When Ed frowned at him, he continued with his eyes trained on the taller man. "I'm Alphonse, and this is my older brother, Ed." His smile only widened when he heard Ed mumbling about turncoat brothers. "Can we ask your name?"

"Mustang. Roy Mustang."

Ed's eyes rolled. They even had the same name. He folded his arms over his chest and moved to sit back down. "Now that we're all _properly_ introduced, can you leave now?" he asked rudely.

Roy was getting the distinct impression that if he wanted to get any information from these two, he would have to talk with the taller of the pair. "Now, now, children should remember to mind the elders," he said to Ed.

Al's eyes widened as Ed's hackles rose. Since they had been in this world, no one had made mention of Ed's height. From what he could remember, Ed was pretty volatile about it.

The tension in Ed's shoulders faded as his trademark smirk crossed his face. He wasn't going to let this copy get to him the same way. "I'm no child. But since you're my _elder_, you're probably too senile to tell the difference."

Roy frowned. No, he didn't think that he and the blonde would get along at all.

"Uncle Roy," a girl's voice called. All three turned to look behind the dark haired man to see a teenaged girl wearing a frown. When she reached the top of the hill, she narrowed her blue eyes at all three men. "Uncle Roy, you know you shouldn't be harassing tourists. It's bad form," she said in a scolding tone.

Ed felt like someone punched him in his stomach as he looked at the girl. She had long cinnamon colored hair that fell around her shoulders in waves. Her eyes mirrored the color of the ocean. Even though it had been years, he would never forget those eyes, or her voice. She was the only person he didn't yell at for calling him little... because she was just so innocent. Now, here she stood, a young lady that she would never become in his world. "Nina," he whispered before he could stop himself.

Al's eyes widened as he looked at his brother.

She turned to him, even as her guardian pulled her behind him. "Yes, that's my name," she said sweetly. "I am Nina Tucker, and this is my estate."

Al swallowed as he stepped forward, knowing that Ed was too shocked to say anything. "I'm Alphonse Elric, and this is my older brother, Edward."

Her eyes were still smiling as she bowed her head. "It's very nice to meet you," she said moving from behind Roy. "Do you boys have a place to stay?" she asked as she moved closer to Al. She couldn't explain why, but for some reason, she felt as if she had to stay close to the brothers.

"Actually, we were going to go find a hotel in a little while," Al confessed.

"Nina," Roy said in a warning tone.

She giggled as she took their hands. "You can stay in the citadel with us," she chimed jumping up and down.

Ed closed his eyes as he moved away from her. "Thanks for the offer, but really, we shouldn't," he said lowly.

Nina's smile faded as she looked at the older blonde. "Do I remind you of your Nina that much?" she asked quietly.

Gold eyes snapped open, and he turned to look at her. Suddenly, she appeared to be older than he first gave her credit for. "What?"

"We've never met, and you called me Nina. Roy would think that you're a danger to me, but I'm really good at reading people. I remind you of a Nina that you knew. Am I so much like her that you don't want to be near me?" she asked in a soft voice.

_"Are you okay little big brother?"_

Ed shook his head. He couldn't hurt this girl's feelings anymore than he could the other Nina. "No, it's not that," he said in a whisper.

"If they don't want to stay Nina, they don't have to." Roy was frowning as he looked at the pair of blondes. He also took note of the fact that Alphonse hadn't let go of Nina's hand.

"You're just saying that because you think they'll annoy you," Nina said in a teasing tone. She then looked between the two brothers. "Please stay. It wouldn't be a bother. Really."

Ed sighed and lifted his bag over his shoulder. He found that he couldn't deny this Nina anything either. "Alright, we'll stay." His eyes went round as she laughed and jumped into his arms in an enthusiastic hug. He slowly smiled as he warped his arms around her waist. He'd deal with Roy in his own time. But for right now, he was content to know that at least in one world, she was still alive and happy.

* * *

**_TBC..._**


	3. Cracking the Whip

**_Caricature of Intimacy_**  
by Midori Bond

**_Chapter 3- Cracking the Whip_**

* * *

Rose focused on what she was doing. The morning hadn't started completely. There were still a number of officers down in the mess hall, and that suited her just fine. She really didn't want to deal with any of them at the moment. She was nervous enough.

A frowned crossed her face as she looked at the file she was holding. It was missing Fuery's signature. She sat it to the side and looked over the next one. Her frown deepened. This one was missing Havoc's signature. She reached for a third file. This time, her frown became a full blown scowl. Breda.

"You have to be joking," Rose sighed as she looked through all of the files. Almost all of them were missing something. She looked at the door to the office and saw Riza carrying two bags. "Did you know that all of these are missing something?" she asked in horrified amazement.

Hawkeye shrugged as she held out a bag. "Bagel?" she offered. As Rose shook her head, she sighed. "I told you they could be lazy," she said leaning against the desk. "I haven't been able to get on them all the way I would like to."

Rose started to divide the files into piles. "What do you suggest that I do? Telling them that they did it wrong isn't going to make them correct it."

"What did you do with your students?"

"Lt. Colonel, we're talking about grown men."

Hawkeye chuckled as she placed the other bag on the desk. "You would be surprised," she said as Breda and Havoc walked into the office followed by Fuery and Falman. "Men," she started in a commanding tone. When they snapped to attention, she gestured to Rose. "Miss Skylar has been kind enough to accept the position as secretary with us. Let's make her feel welcomed, and she has my full permission to do whatever it takes to get you all to cooperated. Understand?"

"Yes sir!" the men all said in unison.

Riza looked at Rose and winked at her. "Remember the whip," she whispered before going into her office.

Rose took a breath as she looked at the men around her. She wasn't going to let them frighten her. She wasn't a scared little mouse. As they all settled in at their desks, Rose finished separating the files. Without a word, she started to hand them out.

Havoc frowned as he looked at the files he was given. "I already did these," he said going to hand them back.

"These are each missing various signatures. Before they can be filed or sent away, they need to be completed." She moved away from Havoc and gave Breda his files.

"You mean you want us to do these, as well as whatever else is handed to us today?" Havoc said with a frown.

Rose passed Falman. His files were the only ones that were complete. "That sounds right," she said with a smile. This really was like being in front of her class again. "But just remember, if you would have done it right the first time, you wouldn't have to worry about doing it over."

Before Havoc could voice another objection, the door opened again to reveal Roy. A dark eye looked around the office and settled on the young woman wearing a blue sun-dress with a white sweater over it. "Miss Skylar," he acknowledged. As he went to the door to his personal office, he noticed the pile of files on her desk. "I hope you find everything to your liking."

Her lips thinned as she turned to the files. "Everything will be just fine Major," she started. She picked up the files and walked over to him. "All of these need your signature in order for me to send them to be processed." She ignored the way his eye widened and went back to her desk. Already, Breda was placing his files on her desk again. She smiled as she looked them over. They were completed the way they needed to be.

"They are fine the way they are," Roy argued moving around her to put the files on her desk. "The Furher knows what my reports and paperwork are like." He turned to the frowning woman, his usual smirk in place. "Besides, I told Armstrong that I would help with his troops." His smirk quickly fell into a frown as Rose closed her eyes and touched her bracelet. Before he could ask what she was doing, his hands were suddenly dripping wet. "What the hell..."

Rose smiled as she looked at her handiwork. "Oops, your gloves are soaked," she said without an ounce of remorse. "Flame alchemy is pretty useless when the array's wet."

Mustang examined his hands stunned. "Aquatic alchemy?" he asked looking at her. He pulled off his gloves and walked over to her. "We knew you were studying alchemy, but none of us knew if you learned anything useful."

She shrugged before going to to the pile again. "I did." She picked up the files and gave them back. "Now you finish your work like a good little Major, and I'll dry your gloves for you."

Everyone in the office stared at the pair. No one expected Rose to stand up to Mustang, and Mustang never listened to anyone but Hawkeye.

"You were the one that wet them, you should be the one to dry them," Mustang said reasonably.

"If your work was done properly, then we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's equivalent exchange. You want to go play, you have to work." She looked into his eye for a long moment. She couldn't back down from him. It was like when she was teaching. If you take down the leader, then everyone else would fall in line.

Wearing a deep frown, Roy snatched his files back. "This isn't your classroom," he said before walking to his office.

His hands were shaking as he looked at the materials in front of him. Large blue eyes looked at the shadowed figure standing quietly by, watching his every move. "And this will work?" he asked nervously.

"Yes," a soft voice whispered. "You have all of the ingredients. I've gone over the research myself. There shouldn't be any problems."

The teenager swallowed as he turned his attention back to the transmutation circle in front of him. "Okay," he said rubbing his hands on his pants. He had never tried anything this big before. Especially not by himself. He took a shaky breath as he picked up a pocket knife and cut into his palm. "This should work as an anchor," he said as blood spilled on to the floor. "A spark of life begins with blood. He and I share it, so this should call him back."

The large figure stood by, cradling his precious doll to his chest. He knew how this was going to play out. This boy would lose more than just a little bit of blood. It would actually be a miracle if he survived this. Alchemic energy soon lit up the room. A smile could be seen on the teen's face. He searched for the past two months to find everything he could on human transmutation, and that was when they stumbled upon each other.

A scream echoed in the room. The teenager's body started to convulse, falling away from the circle. Sapphire colored eyes that were once so full of life and happiness were now staring vacant at the pile of flesh and muscle that he attempted to transmute.

For the first time, the figure in the corner moved. "Very good Fletcher," he whispered as he stepped over the boy's body. With his free hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out two small pebbles. His eyes looked over the mass that was trying so valiantly to breath, and smiled. "Very good in deed." He found the outline of a face. Two glowing red eyes, the cavity for a nose, and spiked teeth that could almost be considered fangs. "Do you want to live?" he asked the mass, knowing that there was a conscious mind in there.

A low hiss escaped it. "...yes..."

He fed the two small stones to it. This was how they were created. Three were already in their ranks. But they needed this one. The one that knew how to make the stones not only to strengthen them, but to also fish out those that can actually created a Philosopher's Stone. "Now, what to call you," he whispered as the mass started to shift and contort. "Pride, Lust and Wrath have been taken." His eyes traveled to the prone figure of Fletcher Tringham and felt his lips thin. "I know. We'll call you Envy. Is that alright?"

"...tcher..."

"We will talk about Fletcher when you're stronger Envy."

"...etcher..."

A slow breath left the mutated chimera. "It appears that the cost for young Fletcher to bring you back, was his soul."

"...brother..."

"I know he was your brother. But you have to become stronger. We may be able to find a way to bring his soul back, if you help us." He was suddenly reminded of another blonde that would do anything for his younger brother. Yes, this new Envy was just like Edward.

"...name... yours..."

"Oh, how silly of me. I forgot all about that. My name is Shou Tucker." He then gestured to the lifeless body in his arms. "And this is my daughter, Nina."

Rose rubbed her eyes as she closed the drawer to the file cabinet. She knew it was late, but for she didn't want to go home. Her head lowered as she leaned against the metal tower. She didn't realize that she was starting to think of that little room with so much of the Elric brother's belongings as home. It made her heart ache.

"Miss Skylar?" Mustang asked from his office door.

She jumped at the sound of his voice. Automatically, her hands came up and wiped at her eyes. She knew there were traces of tears in her eyes, but she didn't want him to know that she was about to cry. "Major Mustang. I didn't realize you were still here."

He watched her for a moment. He knew that she was trying to keep her composure, and he would allow her all of the time she needed. "I was just about to leave." He held up the last of the paperwork that he had to go over today. "I wanted to finish this."

She nodded as he approached her. "I'll get it filed in just a minute."

"You don't have to bury yourself in your work," he said placing the files on her desk.

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Why are you still here?" Mustang challenged.

Rose opened her mouth to answer, only to pause when no sound came out. She closed her mouth in a tight line and frowned as she turned away from him. "I wanted to finish all of this," she said lamely.

His eyebrow arched as he leaned his hip on her desk. "You're a secretary for a large military office. You'll never be finished with the filing." He saw the way she moved away from him and folded his arms over his chest. "And there is still the matter of my gloves."

She couldn't look at him. "Put them on the desk, and I'll dry them," she said quietly.

He did as she asked. He placed his gloves on her desk and moved away from it. There was something that was making her nervous, and he wanted to know what that could possibly be. "How was your first day Miss Skylar?" he asked.

"It was fine," she said automatically. "General Hakkai came in to see the Colonel. He said something about the Fuhrer awarding you a promotion in a few more days."

Roy watched her as she held her hands over the gloves. With a small flash of light, he saw that his gloves were completely dry. "Did Hakkai say anything to you?" he asked tilting his head to the side.

She looked at him and brushed bright pink bangs out of her eyes. "I can take care of myself, Major. Thank you."

"I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't." He picked up his gloves and inspected them. "You seem to have a gift with Aquatic Alchemy. Can you dry anything this quickly?"

"All I did was adjust the amount of moisture in the fabric." She looked at him and swallowed as their eyes locked. "It's pretty easy to manipulate, once you get the hang of it." She was trying to avoid the topic of her day. There were too many men in military uniform here. She didn't know who she could trust, who she couldn't.

Roy opened the blue coat to his uniform. "Have you eaten?" he asked suddenly.

Her eyes started to widen as she slowly shook her head. She swallowed as he removed the coat. "No, I was thinking about grabbing something before I went home," she said softly.

He nodded and held out his hand. "Come to dinner with me, and then I'll walk you to the dorms," he requested in a polite tone.

She looked at him with wide eyes. Before she could answer, a tall man with short black hair walked into the office and looked at the pair. "Mustang," he acknowledged. His green eyes then turned to the trembling young woman he had been looking for. "Miss Skylar, I wanted to see you for a moment."

She folded her hands in front of her and swallowed. She couldn't let this man see her trembling like this. There was something in his eyes. A hungry expression that she hadn't seen in a man's eyes in almost four years. "What can I do for you General Hakkai?" she asked in a whisper.

He smiled. Rose had to admit, he could be handsome, but she couldn't shake the fear that was clawing up her throat. The emotion that was clear on her face, which the general was choosing to ignore. "I was thinking you and I could have dinner together," he stated.

Roy's lips pressed into a line. Rose's terror was almost tangleable. He stepped between the pair. "Actually, Miss Skylar and I already have plans," he said gently taking one of her hands into his own. He saw the way Hakkai's smile fell, and placed his free hand on the small of Rose's back. "We should get going Sweetheart," he tenderly. "Good evening General," Roy said as he felt Rose trembling under his attentions.

With practiced ease, he guided Rose out of the office. She was too quiet, and she was also beginning to make Roy nervous. He leaned over to her ear and whispered words of comfort into her ear, hoping that he would be able to break through the shell she was starting to encase herself in. "You're fine Rose. He wasn't going to come after you. Not with me there."

Her eyes closed as she leaned against him. "You aren't my knight in shining armor," she said before looking at him.

He couldn't help but smile. "I always think of Alphonse when I hear that," he said as they reached the streets. He felt encouraged when he saw a tentative smile on her lips. "I can walk you home if you would like," he offered.

She held onto his hand as they continued to walk down the sidewalk. "Can we grab some take out?" she asked.

Roy nodded. There was something about this woman. She reminded him of Edward. There were times when she was strong, but there were also times, like now, when he just wanted to hold her close and protect her. "You can have anything you want," he said softly.

She didn't want him to know that she was scared of him. There was something about him that made her want to run from, as well as to him. She slowly inhaled as they continued down the street. She knew he wanted answers, but she also knew that he wouldn't push for them. "I remember Hakkai," she said quietly. Rose frowned as she felt his stare on her. "Back during the uprising in Lior." She slid her hand out of his grasp and wrapped her arms around herself. "He was there."

Roy's jaw tightened. "Was he the one?" he asked lowly.

Rose shook her head. "No," she said quietly. A chilled breeze blew past them, making her shiver. Her eyes then widened when she felt his arms around her. "Major?" she questioned as he stepped away from her.

His eye took in her slim form. "It's only a jacket," he informed her. He adjusted the heavy blue coat on her shoulders. When a soft, pretty blush came to her cheeks, he knew he did the right thing. "Where would you like to eat?" he asked.

Rose looked around and chewed on her bottom lip. She had only moved to Central a month before the attack, and she really didn't know where anything was. "I don't know," she confessed. "Riza and Maria usually take me to the mess, or Alex would bring me something Emma made."

The thought of the newly married Emma Armstrong brought a smirk to Roy's face. "I really haven't had a chance to ask him about his life now," Roy said thoughtfully.

She looked at him. "Alex always spoke highly of you," she said as they turned down a corner. "I was shocked when he told me that you haven't even met Emma."

Roy lowered his head slightly. "I respect him," he whispered, as if he were confessing. "I would like to think of him as a friend, but I don't know if I'm ready to risk having another one."

"Why?" she asked in the same tone.

"Maes Hughes," Roy answered. "He was my best friend."

Rose nodded as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Ed said you were really close," she told him. When he looked at her, she pulled the jacket tighter around her shoulders.

"He did?"

"In his journal." She felt another blush cross her face when he placed a restraining hand on her arm. "Is this it?" she asked looking at the restaurant in front of her.

Roy nodded as he lead her inside. He stopped when he saw a familiar mop of blonde hair bouncing around a small bush. "Elicia?" he questioned as he stepped into her path. As he caught her, he smiled tenderly. "Hello Elicia," he mused.

Large eyes looked up at him. "Hi Uncle Roy," she said happily. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her mother following her. "Mama, Mason and me were just getting something to eat."

The tender expression on Roy's face faded. "Mason?" he questioned.

Elicia nodded. "Yeah. He's Mama's new boyfriend."

Gracia sighed as she heard her daughter's statement. She had meant to tell Roy about Mason in her own time. She painted a smile on her face as she looked at her late-husband's best friend. "Good evening Roy," she said quietly.

"Gracia," Roy acknowledged. "Elicia was just telling me about Mason."

She folded her arms over her midsection. She didn't have to answer to him, but for some reason, she felt like she needed to. "You may as well come and meet him."

Roy looked at Rose and gently took her hand. "I would love to, but Rose and I were only going to grab something quick to eat."

Rose shook her head. "It's alright," she said softly. When he looked at her, she smiled. "This is your best friend's family. You have to make sure you protect them."

Without thinking, his thumb reached up and caressed her cheek. "You're an angel," he whispered as Elicia grabbed his free hand.

Rose lowered her eyes to the ground as Roy was dragged into the restaurant She didn't know why she was so comfortable around him. It must have something to do with their admiration of Ed. A faint smile came to her face as she thought about the blonde. He would love to see Roy Mustang, the man he named thirteen kinds of bastard, being lead around by a little girl. She hugged the coat around her shoulders tighter before following the pair to a table.

Gracia smiled as her date stood. He was tall, with a medium build. His short red hair was brushed back neatly, but what seemed to catch everyone's attention were his eyes. They didn't match. One was soft brown, almost amber, and the other was pure black. He extended a hand to the man Elicia was dragging with her. "Hello, you must be Roy Mustang," he said with an easygoing voice.

Roy looked at him for a moment before shaking his hand. "Yes, and you are?"

"This is Mason Hodges. He's the owner of the new jewelry shop that just opened up a few blocks from the house," Gracia said quickly. She knew that Roy wasn't going to like this man. She knew that he would do everything in his power to keep them apart, but damn it, she mourned Maes long enough.

"Jewelry," Roy echoed with a slow nod. Something about this man seemed off, and he couldn't place what it was. "It must take a lot of patience to deal with making fine gold chains, watches and the like."

Mason's smile didn't falter. He expected Mustang to hate him. "It is a lot of work," he confirmed. He then wrapped his arm around Gracia's waist, delighting in the way she blushed. "But then again, anything worth having is."

Roy didn't like him. His tone and mannerisms were all too familiar, and he couldn't place his finger on how. He gave Elicia's hand a gentle squeeze and knelt down to her height. "Listen, Sweetheart, I promised Miss Skylar that I would get her something to eat."

"So you have to go?" Elicia asked softly.

"Yeah, I have to go. But I can make it up to you this weekend if it's alright with your mom." Roy brushed a lock of her hair out of her face. "The carnival's supposed to be coming back. I would love to take the prettiest girl in Central."

Elicia smiled brightly as she looked at her mother. "Can I Mama?" she asked happily.

Gracia smiled as she nodded. She couldn't take Elicia away from Roy. She was the last piece of her husband any of them had left. "As long as I get pictures."

The six year old giggled. "Okay Uncle Roy, it's a date."

Roy kissed her forehead and stood straight. "Gracia, Mr. Hodges, it was nice meeting you," he said bowing his head slightly.

"You too, Major Mustang," Mason said as the officer started to walk off.

Roy's eye narrowed as he approached Rose. It was official, he hated him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and lead her over to the counter. "In the morning, I want you to stop me from doing something really stupid," he said as they looked over the menu the cashier handed them.

"What's that?"

"Stop me from running a background check on him."

Rose couldn't help the smile on her face. When his eye turned to her, she cleared her throat and focused on the words in front of her. "I'll try," she said clearly trying to hide a laugh.

* * *

**_TBC..._**


End file.
